Carbureter.



1. H. DEARBORN.

- CARBUHETER. APPLICATION 'FILED' MAY I8 191?! Patened Jan. '7, 1919.

" muuu ff @m JOSEPH H. DEARBORN, 0F. LAKEWOOD, 0R10.

CARBURETER.

readies.

specmcatin of Letters Patent.

Patenten aan. e, raie.

- Application led Kay 18. 19 17. Serial No. 169,887.

Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and -State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbureters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carbureters ,in general and the broad principle involved is adaptable wherever hydrocarbon products are employed as a heating or explosive medium, or where it is desirable to combine the volatile vapors which evaporate from the hydrocarbon products with proper proortions of yair to roduce a uniform comustion ofthe i ammable mixture. The improvement with modifications of construction is applicable to blast furnaces, steam boilers, or hydrocarbon burners in general, but as it is particularly serviceable in connection with internal combustion engines it is herein shownand described as an embodiment of a carbureter of this character, the

-pur ose of which is to provide means for com ining the volatile vapors which eva orate from the hydrocarbon llquids used w1th proper proportions .of air to form an iniiammable gas the explosion of which actu-- ates the pistons and thereby drivesl the engine. 'If the .mixture is too rich or too lean the energy of the explosion is reduced and the amount of power applied to the piston is decreased proportionately.

The control of the engine is governed by Y altering the speed through regulation of the supply of gas to the cylinders. The en e should run from its lowest to its hig est lspeed without any irregularity in torque t ing engine speeds.

the gas must be richer in fuel than when A the throttle is wide open and the engme speed is high. When anV engine is turningover slowly on low throttle the compression has low value and the conditions are not so favorable to rapid combustion as when the compression is high. At high' engine speeds the gas velocity through the intake is higher than at low speeds, and regular engine action is not so. apt to be disturbed by condensation of liquid in the manifold due to.

excessive rich mixture or `a superabundance of liquid in the stream of carbureted air.

Neither a too rich or a too lean mixture is desirable as the engine will be hard to start and lack power on,y a lean mixture and 1t w1ll tend to overheat and be wasteful of fuel as well as promoting carbon depositsl if the mixture is too rich.

The principal object of the present inventlon is the provision of a carbureter of great elasticity of operation, that is one b means of which the engine will wor smoothly over a Wide range of speeds; that works automatically in-s mpathy with the .englne speeds; and that will respond quickly 1n starting; that not only supplies a certain amount of gas, but that elivers a mixture to the cyllnders that is accurately propor. tioned and of proper composition .at all engme speeds.

With the above mentioned and other apparent objects in view the invention consists principally in the provision of a {iexible or automatically expanding venturi which cooperates with the other elements of the device to produce the desired results as set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a ccntral vertical section of a carbureter embodying the improvement and adaptable to internal combustion engines. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section showing certain 0f the elements in a position which they assume in the operation of the device. Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of the venturi detached and showing said elements in the expanded and contracted positions, respectively, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified construction of venturi.

Throughout the drawings and -in the description similar characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the ordinary carbureter iioat chamber connected with the fuel supply source through the nipple la, and connected by 'means of conduit 2 with the nozzle 3 which projects centrally into the Venturi or mixing chamber 5 represents the air inlet which surrounds the nozzle 3 and connects with the lower terminal of the Venturi member 4. 6

is the throttle chamber provided with the l tofore used in connection with internal combustion engines, therefore the functions of the common elements lneed -notbe dwelt on only in so far as their co`act1on with the Venturi member is concerned, as the present invention lies in the construction and operation of said venturi.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the broad principle of the invention consists in an automatically' expanding and .contracting venturi. This principle is carried out 1n a referred embodiment as illustrated. The Venturi member 4 is interposed between the air inlet 5 and the throttle chamber 6, the mixing chamber 4l being arranged concentric with the fuel nozz e 3. The wall vpf the chamber 4a is made up of alternate rigid and iexible elements. he rigid elements 4b are in section substantially the form as shown in Fig. 1, being contracted in the horizontal plane a-a near the outlet of nozzle 3, and Haring to the air inlet 5 and also to the throttle chamber 6 as shown by contours The alternate flexible elements comprise leaves 8 which are .mounted on fixed bearings 8 and are retained in their predetermined normal position by stops 8b 4 and 4d.

and adjust-able spring members 9 mounted on fixed pins 9a, said by screws 10 bearing on the members 9*.

Fig. 4 shows the relative position of the exible and rigid elements of the venturi when in normal condition with the mixing chamber 4 contracted. This condition exists when the throttle is closed and when nearly open, at which time it is desirable to have a rich mixture. The mixing chamber being contracted admits the minimum volume of air required. When the throttle is barely open the velocity of the air through the inlet 5 -to the chamber 4 is low and as the throttle opening is increased the velocity is increased proportionately. The pressure of the air from the inlet 5 on the leaves 8 causes them to rock on the bearings 8 thereby increasing the lateral dimensions of the chamber 4a and accommodating a greater Volume of air. As the expansion of the Venturi oli-amber is proportionate to the velocity of the air intake, and as the said velocity is governed by the throttle opening, the throttle also controlling the speed of the engine, the result is the automatic expansion of the venk turi in sympathy with the speed of the engine Athereby automatically delivering a mixture to the cylinders that is accurately proportioned or of proper composition at all engine speeds.

I have conceived devices differing considerably in details of construction that may be employed for the .purpose set forth, without departing from the spirit of the invensprings being adjusted tion or the scope of the -appended claims. The construction as above described is applicable to the type of earbureter illustrated, but I anticipate that the details of construction would necessarily have to be modified to suit other types or to meet different conditions. Fig. 5 is an example of a modification wherein the movable members 80a are actuated by the pressure from the inlet 50, and regulated by the spring members 90, thereby providing an automatically expanding venturi.

It will readily 'be seen that whether the actuating meduim is `the air or the other gases that combine to produce the desired result, the broad principle is the same, therefore I am not confined to the construction as shown and described, the limitation being governed by the scope of the claims.

What I claim' and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Ina carbureter, 'an expanding venturi sov comprising a series of rigid filler members -on opposite faces of the filler members, the

combined series .forming a `chamber annularly closed under all conditions contracted in the approximate horizontal plane of the fuel orifice provided' in the carbureter, and Haring therefrom to the end openings of said chamber.

2. In a carbureter', an expanding venturi comprising a series of rigid' ller members annularly arranged, said filler members alternately disposed between units of a series of radially expansible spring members, the longitudinally parallel edges of said expansible spring members bearing on opposite faces of the filler members, the combined series forming a chamber annularly closed under all conditions contracted in the approximate plane of the fuel orifice provided in rthe carbureter, and flaring therefrom to the ends of said chamber.

3. A carbureter for internal combustion engines, including an -a-ir inlet and a throttle chamber, a venturi interposed between said inlet and chamber, a fuel nozzle provided with an orifice centrally located inthe venturi, said venturi comprising a series offiller members annually arranged, said filler members alternately disposed between units of a series of flexible, spring-controlled members, the parallel surfaces of the expansible members bearing on opposite surfaces of the ller members, the combined series forming a venturi annularly closed under all conditions, contracted inthe approximate plane of the fuel orifice and flaring therefrom to the air inlet and to the throttle chamber.

4. In a device for mixing hyro-carbon fuel products with air in proper proportion members alf for combustion, the elements being under varyingveloclties, the combination of an air inlet and a fuel inlet; a mixing chamber connected with said inlets, said mixing( chamber formed v by radially movable members annually disposed and automatically operated by air pressure, rigid members interposed annularly between said 

